Minds and Money: Reinvesting in Sierra Leone

Minds and Money: Reinvesting in Sierra Leone By Vickie Remoe-Doherty
As Printed In the African Magazine (5/28/07)

When I received my green card in 2003- the second semester of my freshman year at Haverford College- the final peace accord ending the war in Sierra Leone had been signed in Lomé a year earlier. With my green card in hand I was sure that I would be in Sweet Sierra Leone before the end of the year. But so much had happened since, I had cried with my father watching Sorious Samura's Cry Freetown on CNN. My heart ached for the countless amputee men, women, and children living all over the country. Knowing what I did, I couldn't go back home empty handed. I rallied some friends to put together a calendar which we could sell to raise money for several hundred families living in the S. Rokel Amputee Camp in Freetown. We didn't have a dime to start the project so I sent a letter to the president of the college outlining our plan and the situation in Sierra Leone. Two days later, I was in his office pitching the calendar to him. A week later he wrote a check for 500 dollars to jump start the project. The entire calendar was created in the space of weeks. My friends and I raised 2000 dollars that semester that I took with me to Sierra Leone after receiving a grant from Haverford College's Center for Peace & Global Citizenship. Two thousand dollars translated into 200 bags of rice for families at the camp. After returning home in 2003, I affirmed two things: the first was that I loved Sierra Leone and the second that I had to do everything in my power to contribute to rebuilding my country. Since then I have returned to Sierra Leone four times. Each time I go back the experience is more enlightening and I become more aware of the colossal task ahead of rebuilding Sweet Salone.

As I graduated from college last year, I was overwhelmed by the need to go back home. But questions about the amount and quality of the contribution I could make to Sierra Leone with no money and a first degree in Political Science and French filled my mind. With no skills of which to boast except for a boatload of knowledge on Sierra Leone from my thesis research, a strong commitment to social and economic justice and an even stronger sense of service, I had to make a plan to succeed. I asked my self two questions: (1) What is most needed in Sierra Leone? (2) Based on where I am in my life now, how can I best contribute to that need? After brainstorming over the course of several weeks the THINK-BUILD-CHANGE-SALONE (TBCS) INITIATIVE was born. The goal of the initiative was to ensure that Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad could participate in the nation's rebirth. The venture would include an internship program that enabled youth living back home to gain work experience with NGOs, and businesses. It is my responsibility to raise funds to cover stipends for the youth as they participate in the program. The other aspect of the Initiative was to encourage Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora to volunteer their time with NGOs when they were at home on vacation. This meant setting up a website so that diasporans would be able to find out about on going development projects in which they could participate before they arrived.

After developing the Initiative, I realized that it was not a one woman task. I needed help. Serendipity happened as I discovered Sierra Visions Inc.- a three year old non profit organization started by young Sierra Leonean professionals living in the US. Sierra Visions recruits professionals from the diaspora with cutting edge expertise to conduct training sessions in Sierra Leone in an effort to reverse the country's brain drain into a brain gain. These training sessions are provided free of charge to the public with support from corporate sponsors in Sierra Leone such as the SBTS group, Access Point Africa, and recently added Celtel SL LTD. The organization liked my idea and believed that it would merge well with some of their on going projects. By January of this year I was a member of Sierra Visions, Inc and program manager for the THINK-BUILD-CHANGE-SALONE (TBCS) INITIATIVE. The past couple months have been spent raising financial support for the project. This has been no easy feat but I've received really great feedback from the Sierra Leone community and I'm moving back to Sierra Leone in two weeks to begin implementing the project.

One of the biggest issues after job training will be work placement. That's where the private sector comes in. Private sector development needs to occur at a faster pace if Sierra Leone is going to move from the bottom of the United Nations Human Development Index. Last year the GoSL and the UK DFID embarked on the "Sierra Leone: Back in Business" Campaign; an effort to bring investors back into Sierra Leone.

Unfortunately, when poor countries are wooing potential investors they usually embark on what I term as "state led prostitution." The government is forced to barter itself and its resources to any one willing to bid (not even the highest bidder). In the name of privatization and foreign direct investment many African nations, including Sierra Leone, have given tax breaks and signed deals that favor the foreign companies' interests more than their own national interests. These investors make opportunistic deals to avoid corporate social responsibility or restrictions in other countries that respect their citizen's welfare. The tricky thing about this unequal system is that the market is highly competitive. "It's a prostitute eat prostitute world." There is always the threat that another state in Africa or elsewhere could make a more attractive offer to the investing client. The question for states like Sierra Leone then becomes: "How can I make my country attractive for investment and avoid these pitfalls?"

Luckily, and rarely, an investor comes along that believes in corporate social responsibility and is willing to invest capital in human development and national welfare. Celtel International B.V, SBTS Group, and Access Point Africa are doing just that in Sierra Leone proving that corporate responsibility and profit are not mutually exclusive. In 2000 when the biggest investor in the country was probably the UNAMSIL peace keepers; CELTEL International B.V became one of the first multinational companies to begin operations in Sierra Leone. Since then many other companies have followed suit.

Celtel has even opened a training academy in Freetown that will bring "world class educational opportunity combined with the depth and speed of information technology and the internet" to Sierra Leone. If Sierra Leoneans are endowed with cutting edge skills then companies like Celtel will reduce their dependence on foreign expats. With this training academy, Celtel is making a decision to not only invest in infrastructure but also in people. Infrastructural developments are good but without skills, brain power, and leadership; buildings and roads will crumble and decay. Another example of Celtel's commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility in Sierra Leone is the recently launched the "Build Our Nation" campaign. The goal of this campaign is to provide much needed school supplies and books to secondary schools in need. The company has set aside a total of Le. 450 million (150,724 dollars) for the first year of implementation. Additionally, the "Come. Back Home" Campaign in an effort to recruit Sierra Leoneans and other Africans in the diaspora who are interested in living and working in Africa to join their corporate family. The company will be participating in career fairs in the UK and the US during the course of this year to make Sierra Leoneans aware of the opportunities available with Celtel.

Last year AccessPoint Africa Incorporated (APA) with CEO Conrad Coyanda-Parkzes hosted a free community training class at its Bo Internetworking center. The training class was provided as a collaborative effort between Sierra Visions and The African Network-TAN. Participants in the training included student and professionals from local institutions such as Bo Town Council, Bo Kenema Power Systems (BKPS), SLBS, Bo Government Hospital and Njala University. The training introduced participants to Internet concepts and covered different areas including the use of search engines, and email registration.


The efforts of these companies, NGOs, and concerned individuals doing all they can to contribute to Sierra Leone's development is exactly what the nation needs to take advantage of the recent international media attention garnered by best selling author Ishmael Beah and the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. The journey ahead is going to be long and hard but it is far from impossible. As I leave for Sierra Leone in the next couple days, I am excited, happy, and optimistic not only for myself but because I know that change is possible and on the way. Sierra Leone is back in business and moving forward one step at a time.

Nataša's Sierra Leone Adventures - Part 12 - Anti-Corruption Strategies

I travelled through many villages to get to Kenema. It was a nice shiny day, and not too hot, the bus was half empty. If I followed my instinct, I would get off the bus at one of the stops, I was not yet ready to head back to town. But I didn't, I stayed on the bus, and looked at the moving pictures of life. People sitting outside, selling vegetables on the stalls, children running. I observed the fertile lands, the lush greenery, the bush. It was the rainy season and everything was growing and sprouting. There were many big sign boards posted everywhere along the road, announcing the farming projects, which were going on in the district, sponsored by big foreign NGOs. You couldn't miss them, they were everywhere in the country as well. In this parts most projects seemed to be agricultural. What, and how to plant, to give people means of living.

Mohamed the caretaker suggested I go to Sinawa Guesthouse in Kenema. Once we stopped, the bus driver asked a boy lead me through several busy streets to my guesthouse, I was back in town. It was a nice place to stay at, especially when after a bit of haggling, I paid only a fourth of the price they originally suggested. I was guessing they just tried with setting a higher price as I was white. I made the telephone call, and mother was fine. I got in touch with my flight friend, he gasped “Thank God, it's you.” He was not fine at all, his bag with all his money, passport, and camera got stolen on his business trip to Makeni. He was heading to Gambia for a few days. Once I settled in, I went for a long walk around Kenema, as I usually do in new cities. I walked down to the Lebanese owned Capitol Restaurant, where the owner or his sons often occupied one of the tables at the entrance themselves. I had a nice Lebanese meal, a treat for being back in town. It was laid back, customers seemed to be better off, Lebanese, who were often friends, ex-pats, who wanted a hamburger to remind them of home, and of course blacks. I saw some ladies accompany men, who seemed overdone with make-up and cheap stylish wear, and too servile and insecure to be real girlfriends.

I walked so much in the spread out Kenema I lost directions. I hailed down a motorbike. Forgetting you always have to mount it from the left side, my leg got badly burnt on the exhaust pipe. It just skimmed my skin off. I pretended nothing happened, although some people noticed, pointed and talked about it. I took care of it first thing when I was back at the hotel. I always take all the medical prerequisites with me, coming from a medical family. I put some sterile gauze on after I cleaned it, and later on kept cleaning and changing it regularly. The tropic climate doesn't help wounds and it didn't heal. It actually took over a month to get well. Anyway, it was not much of a problem, just not something you want to go swimming in the salty ocean with, so it changed my later beach plans in Sierra Leone. I was still too restless to lie on the beach anyway.

Kenema was nice, with a big mosque. Much of it seemed like a big spread out market. I was trying to find an internet cafe, to check my mail, and noone seemed to know exactly where it was. Some knew there was one around, but they kept giving me wrong directions. I asked a couple of men who were sitting in front of the hotel for help, and one of them told me to climb into his car, he would give me a lift. My driver looked like the hotel manager, a gentleman in a suit, but it later turned out, he was just a hotel visitor, working for the anti-corruption government office in Freetown. They were giving seminars all over Sierra Leone, and had just finished some in Kenema hoping that the anti-corruption programme had a far reaching effect in a long term. Anyway, we drove and asked around, me jumping in and out of the car, until we finally managed to find a small and obviously the only internet cafe place in Kenema in one of the side streets near the market. I thanked him as he drove off. I was happy to check the mail, one of my projects was going on, and I was in touch again with my colleauges, we all seemed to be all over the world, one in Fes, Morocco, another one in Lisbon, Portugal, another one in Arles, France, and I was here, in Sierra Leone. This obviously had become a small globalized world.

I read and replied to some of the private mail as well and then I was ready to head back to the hotel. Gentleman who helped me find the internet caffe, was still sitting oustide, so we had a drink together. He was surpised to hear I was not working in Sierra Leone, and even more to hear I travelled with the public transportation, he thought it was unsuitable for a lady like me. We talked about his anti-corruption mission, I was interested in that. How much effect did they actually have? The situation seemed quite complex. It was of course hard to asses at that point yet. Then the gentlemen seemed not to waste much time, he steered our serious conversation into inviting me to spend the coming weekend or at least a day together at one of the beaches near Freetown. I seriously doubted he was not married, but did not ask as I declined the invitation. The rest of the time, while finishing our drinks, he was trying to make me change my mind about his proposition. So many opportunities to find male partners here in Sierra Leone, I thought, younger, older, my age whatever. I was tired, and retreated to my room early. I wanted to watch the football game just by myself, but the TV showed just snowy spots on all the channels. I reported the problem. In no time two young boys came to fix it. They worked on it half of the match, going in and out of my room with different tools, discussing the problem, while I resignedly sat on the edge of my bed, my head in my hands, only to realize after an hour, there was nothing wrong with the TV but with the cable. Then I watched the rest of the game in French in Guinean transmission, we found that programme.

Already in my nightgown, I had someone knock at my door. I had a visit, said one of the boys who were fixing my TV earlier. It was the anti-corruption gentleman who gave it another try, now to show me Kenema by night. I declined again. While asleep I had another knock, now it was almost midnight. One of the boys realised he forgot one of the tools in my room while fixing the TV, and thought he should immediately come back to collect it. My usual kindness was wearing off.

I spent another day exploring Kenema. I bought Camara Laye's An African Child on the street stall, read it again in English translation, then gave it to a boy, who was just sitting nearby. I bought a couple of books for young adults by African writers as well for later. I then bought a couple of Sierra Leonean notebooks, it is my habit to buy local notebooks wherever I go. I slowly strolled down the food market, and wished I could buy some fresh products and and find a place to cook, as I hadn't done that in a while. I love markets, they are an extract of life. Then I went to the forestry. I asked the manager if I could go around, and had some nice views of the town from the top of the forested hill. I walked around Gola Gola, slowly mounting up, and gaining a nice view of Kenema from the top. There were some workers around, and we chatted a bit. It is easier for me to find friends in villages. In big cities I am often a lonely wanderer.

I decided to leave the next day, government buses left at three and four in the morning. The two boys, who had fun fixing my TV, came to wake me up in the middle of the night and accompany me to the station. It seemed they didn't mind doing that either. One was carrying my bag, the other was just joining us. We walked in the dark, my torch safely packed in my luggage. I talked with the boy, who carried the bag. He was extremely intelligent. He wanted to study geography. He knew where Slovenia was, he knew the name of Slovenia's capital. The latter stunned me, he was the first one I met in Sierra Leone who knew. The only one of the family in the city, he worked at the hotel to help his mother provide for the family. He also went to school. His father died during the war. He had five more brothers and sisters back at the village, none of them attended school. His prospects were not too good, with the financial situation, but he was his family's only hope, to be educated, or to earn good money. I gave another generous tip. I really find it hard to see young people like him not have the right opportunity in life.

On the bus there was a man, maybe my age, sitting in front of me. The bus's wind shields broke down, and it was raining heavily on and off, so we had to stop every now and then for someone to wipe the front pane for the driver to see at least some of the road ahead. We stopped at the Moyamba junction again on the way back. The gentleman waved to me, if I wanted to go and have some lunch at the stall where he was going. Most passengers went to the bigger place, and I joined him. The food was really good, and plentyful. We ate, and talked. I realised he was not a happy man. Two years ago during the war both his wives got taken away by the rebels. He never saw them again. He was left alone with five children, and provided for them. He was a business man, travelling around, often to Guinea and back, sometimes just to Freetown, buying children toys there, and selling them in Kenema. The elder children watched over the younger ones while he was away. He told everthing matter-of-factly, but I could feel something died in this man. I watched his head from the back, saw the tiny streaks of grey at the temples of hair, when we drove on, and was thinking of him. Approching Freetown we got into one of the traffic jams. It took a whole hour or more, to get to the centre. My friend from the bus got off earlier, on Fourah Bay road, to get to one the markets, he turned around to say goodbye, and then he was off. I watched the back of his head, a small balding spot, quickly disappearing in the crowded street. His story stayed with me.